The Swamp Patrol
by AnamatronicFish
Summary: The short story of four Mooks out on a patrol in the swamp and the delightful experiences they have. I recently revised it to be less terrible, oops!
1. The Lost Lady

"Gweheheh! Little rookie Enoea's frightened of a few dead animals. Isn't that precious, Tari?" Net wrapped a scarred tentacle around his old friend and pulled him closer. "Did you hear his scream? Like a little girl. I wish Ju wasn't patrolling right now. She'd love to see this. "

Tari rolled his eyes, but didn't respond. His attention was on the three dead crocodiles Enoea screamed about a minute earlier. That, and his current distance from Net. His old friend had him pressed tight against the side of his head. Tari pried himself away from Net and wriggled an eyes-width away from him.

Net half shrugged and returned his attention to Enoea. "Think I should tell her once she's back?"

Today was the kid's third official day in the field with their squad and Net and his mate, Juma, had already gotten him to fight buffalos, approach the children in Youngtown and scour the mud for a mysterious substance called 'tofu' that Juma assured him Master Giegue needed. Tari slithered closer to the corpse. A spattering of blood covered the semi-frozen ground around the badly battered bodies. Delicate geometric patterns of frost melted as the mook watched.

"Oh, Net, please don't!" The younger mook squeezed his eyes shut. "I-I don't want her to think less of me because I-"

"Think less of you?" Net's entire form shook with laughter. "That's what you're worried about?"

"Quiet, you two." Tari narrowed his eyes and returned to Net's side. "I've gotta decide how worried we should be about fhis." He motioned at the crushed and frozen bodies. "Crocodiles are nobody's friends, so, it's not like we've gotta avenge'm or anyfhing. Still, I don't want to make any decisions about fhis just yet. It seems like a good learnin' exercise for a certain someone." Tari turned his attention to the rookie and grinned. "Enoea, since you found fhem, why don't you give me a quick summary about the bodies, hmm?"

Enoea shuddered and slithered closer to the crocodiles as the rest of his team watched. Tari didn't think there was much to be worried about. They hadn't met anything else in the swamp that could use PSI apart from other parties of mooks. That, and they were dead crocodiles. Dead. Crocodiles.

"W-well, let's see. There's lots of frost around the bodies, and…hold on…" The young mook reached out a tentacle and laid it on one of the crocodile's heads. Tari glanced over at Net and met his eyes. His friend looked as impressed as he was at the kid's sudden bravery. Enoea's previous actions with the buffalo and human children had given the entire group the impression that Enoea was a cowardly push-over.

Enoea stopped at each of the crocodiles and checked to the state of their bodies. Once the rookie finished his minor investigation, he looked back at Tari, his skin paler than before, and opened his mouth. "They… they must have been frozen with a pretty powerful PSI Freeze, Tari. That's why one of them doesn't have any marks on it. Two of them have bad head wounds, as if someone smashed in their skulls in."

"Interestin'. What does fhat tell you about fheir attacker, Enoea?"

He paused and shut his eyes. "That, um, we must be dealing with a high-leveled PSI user that is capable of strong physical attacks. R-right, Tari?"

Enoea was smarter than Tari game him credit for. He'd gotten a handle on the situation pretty quickly. Tari glanced over at Net, not ready to give up on the idea that a mook was responsible. That would make everything so much easier. It could've been Juma, he thought. She was the kind of mook to use a few physical attacks alongside her PSI. "Net, does Juma have some kind of problem wifh crocodiles? Like, one ate her sis or somefhin?"

The other mook shrugged. "Nah. Her sis's still alive. The two of us had a nice dinner with her before getting shipped out." He paused and grinned at Tari. "What if some human has a tentacle in this? I mean, they're good at beating stuff up and a few of them can learn PSI. Remember what those human squirts said just before Enoea showed up and scared them back into town? Some baby in Youngtown uses PSI."

Tari supposed that if one of them had gotten lost and they'd needed to set out a search party, but… no, that didn't make any sense. The children in that town were too terrified to wander off with their parents missing. None of them would have strayed out of town and none of them would have had the guts to go and find a lost child if one did wander off. It had to be someone with PSI from outside of the town if it wasn't a mook.

"Net, Tari, look! Look, look, look! Human tracks; right here by the bodies!"

Well, fuck, Tari though. That blasted his mook theory to pieces. He looked over and saw Enoea's tentacle directed at the ground. There were a few sets of human tracks that led away from the corpses.

He looked at the deep sets of prints and sighed. He couldn't be angry at life for making his job harder. Besides, there was one factor in this whole affair he was pleased with. Thank the stars we're in a swamp, he thought. The moist ground gave them valuable clues about where the humans went after they killed the crocodiles. As he considered the groups options, Net slithered over to Enoea and set a heavy tentacle on the recruit's head, right between his eyestalks. "I see them. Good work, kid. Who'd've guessed you're actually useful?" He laughed and Enoea's worried grin spread and became an honest smile. "You might be a powerful ally some day, kid."

Tari was glad the kid had impressed Net to some degree. He still needed to earn Juma's respect, but that would come in time. Or, at least, Tari hoped it would come in time. If Juma kept saying things to Enoea that made him search out fictitious materials or chase down dangerous animals, Tari'd have to bash their heads together in annoyance. Their numbers were too small for Juma and Net to send the rookie out on gag missions every few hours.

Enoea looked at the older mooks. The kid was a brighter shade of green than before. Net decided the change was rooted in Net's compliment. He had an eager, approval-seeking look on his face when he opened his mouth to speak again. "W-well, let's follow the tracks, then! We'll get to the bottom of this mystery in no time."

Net shrugged and closed his eyes. "I guess we gotta get moving, but what are we gunna do to the humans when we find them?"

The young mook hesitated and looked down at the ground. "Um, well, I guess we could-"

"We'll just see what fhey're up to, all right? We don't hafta do anyfhing if fhey're just passing fhrough." Tari said. The other mooks nodded, satisfied with Tari's response, and slithered after the human tracks. They searched for signs of the humans amid the shallow pools edged with algae. Tari just slid through a clump of reeds when Enoea called out.

"Tari? Net?" The older mooks turned their attention away from the human hunt and stared at the kid. His eyes sparkled like a diamonized head. "I'm so excited about our first mission together. I just wanted to say that, well, um, I-I'm not going to get frightened like that again, so you don't need to worry, okay?"

Net's grin widened, and he slid over to Enoea. "You'd better be telling the truth, kid, 'cause I'd hate to see you miss a valuable learning experience because you were hiding in the reeds."

"H-hiding in the reeds? I wouldn't do that!" Enoea puffed himself up, indignant. "I only screamed earlier because I was, um, surprised. I-I'm not going to let anything catch me off guard from this point on."

Net laughed and plucked a reed from the ground. "It's precious just how worked up you are, kid."

"I-I wish you would take me more seriously. I'm trying my best, but it's really, really hard for me to win any approval when everyone keeps doubting me. I-I tried my best to get that tofu for Master Giegue, but, no matter how many puddles I looked in I just-" He stopped and blinked. "W-wait! You weren't lying to me, were you?"

Net burst into laughter. "It's not our faults you're so easy to mess with, kid. Juma and I are professional rookie-breakers."

Tari knew he should keep the two from arguing, but it was very funny to hear Net argue with someone other than his mate. The current scenario also had the advantage of not requiring a literal 'kiss and make up' session afterwards. It was awkward to be around when Juma and Net finished a rousing debate. Hell, who was he kidding, the two of them redefined the term 'rousing debate.'

"I bet you two met in, um…"

Stars in the sky, Tari thought, the kid's gunna try back-sassing Net. There was no way the current situation could end well. Still, a small, morbid part of Tari's brain wanted to see how terribly Enoea could mess insulting someone up. He kept his mouth shut and let the pair continue.

"Well, kid?"

"In…um…meanie school…for mean people. J-just, shut up!"

Tari and Net stared at the uncomfortable younger mook. Enoea's face darkened in embarrassment under the gaze of his teammates. Sometimes, Tari thought, the kid really was too much. To his surprise, Net did not jump on Enoea's botched up insult. "Gweheheh, no, kid. Neither of us qualified for 'meanie school.' We met back in the old upper educational system. I had a bit of a habit of using ladies for my own purposes and managed to crush the heart of one of her friends or something. I swear, I never thought I'd survive that beating. I guess she decided I wasn't worth the trouble around the same time I realized I'd found someone that was. Of course, it took a few years and a lot of burn marks, but, eventually, I got her to change her mind about me."

Net paused and sighed. He lit the reed he'd pulled earlier on fire and followed the flame's path with his eyes. "We've been together ever since, me and Ju. As you can see, we didn't even let the war keep us apart. Not that any of you care, but, the two of us plan to take in a couple of orphans and teach them the fine art of mockery once we win this little war." He dusted the ash off his tentacles.

Tari looked up at the sky. The sun was at the horizon line and the first brushes of orange dyed the clouds a soft, warm tone. All this talk about Juma reminded Tari that the forth member of their party should be done with her patrol soon. He looked back at his friend. "So, Net, where was Juma patrolling today? Maybe we can meet up wifh her and fill her in on fhe human mystery."

Net's grin stretched further and he nodded. "Good thinking. I'll try to get her here with telepathy. Hold on a moment."

As Net focused his attention on Juma, Enoea slithered up to Tari. "Tari, will I manage to get a mate like Juma?"

Oh, awkward, Tari thought. "I'm not fhe best guy to ask, kid." he said, a bit annoyed that Enoea brought up relationships while they had a mystery to solve. Or, he reconsidered, that he'd brought it up at all. He didn't want to remember his poor track record of failed romances, especially in the middle of an investigation. "I don't have much to say about somefhin like fhindin' someone to spend your life wifh. Now, get your head outta the sky and focus on fhe human tracks."

"O-oh." The rookie looked away, dejected. "Right! Um, sorry, Tari. I didn't mean to get distracted, I just, well, um, I thought you maybe had some input!" The two mooks stood near each other in a silence more awkward and uncomfortable than joking about someone's mother only to find out that they're an orphan. Tari knew, deep down in his heart, that he should say something to the kid. He also knew that, even deeper, at the core of his heart, he didn't care if Enoea felt uneasy around him. No matter how the kid felt; he'd have to push those feelings aside and work with Tari if he expected to achieve anything with the team.

He nearly let the topic rest when he remembered how much the rookie'd tried today. It'd take a miracle for him to talk about love and relationships with Enoea, but, he suspected that Juma might ease up on the kid if he asked her for advice. Maybe he should reward the kid with a suggestion, for his good effort. "Just ask Juma once she gets back, okay kid?" Tari looked over at Net. "Speakin' of Juma, could you pick up fhe pace? You can talk about your orphans once she's here."

His friend narrowed his eyes. "Shut up, Tari. I'm having a hard time locating her."

Tari locked his teeth together and frowned. "She must have left fe range of your telepathy. I'm sure there's nufin' to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about? Tari, my mate's not answering me. It would've taken her a solid day of travel to leave my telepathy's range." He paused and looked to the side. "Something must have happened."


	2. The Found Kids

The three mooks searched for Juma for an hour before they found her, sprawled out near the water. Her tentacles radiated from her smashed and bloodied body. Blood mixed with mud in a thick, red-brown pool around the fourth mook on the squad.

Tari blinked a few times, and looked away. He'd known Juma almost as long as he'd known Net. He squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to calm down. This was a terrible moment to lose his head. He heard the rookie crying to his left. He wished he could do the same.

Net reached a tentacle down and wiped a splatter of mud off of his dead mate's bruised skin. He shut his eyes and a bright flash of light filled the darkening swamp. It shimmered on the plentitude of muddy water and blood before the gloaming reclaimed its seat of influence. "My Ju…she's…" His tentacle trembled as he cleaned another patch of mud from Juma and swallowed. "Whoever did this to her didn't kill her right away. They…they just left her here to bleed out."

Tari rested a tentacle against his friend's shoulder, unable to find the words he needed to comfort his friend. He stood there as Net cried for his love and, for the first time in years, he was lost.

Enoea was the one to break the silence. He cringed and pointed at the pool of thickening blood. "N-Net. Look right there."

Net and Tari looked over at what the young Mook was pointing at. There, just a few feet from Juma, were human tracks, just like the ones they'd found earlier.

Net's wet eyes narrowed and he turned to Tari. "We're going to find them, you two. This goes beyond orders now. We are going to find them and we are going to make them pay for what they did to Ju."

Tari looked from Net to Juma and nodded his head. He slithered over to Enoea and put a tentacle on the kid's head. "Come on, Enoea, let's go on ahead." Tari'd almost expected him to request to stay back with Net, but, thankfully, Enoea slithered after Tari. He wondered if it was because, here, on this strange, alien planet, they both recognized how important their traditions were. They had to give the quick-witted Juma, killed while on a minor patrol, the right to a private cremation with only her very closest loved ones in attendance.

The two mooks waited silently a small distance away by a clump of reeds. Enoea looked at Tari and wiped a tear away from his main eye. "It's so her spirit is free, right, Tari?"

He looked at the reeds and murmured, "I don't know about any offhat, kid, but it'll keeps the animals from eating her." Tari looked over at Enoea and noticed that the kid looked paler than before and on the verge of tears. Tari hurried to add, "I bet it does fhat whole spirit freeing fhing, too, fhough." A sick sensation filled Tari's gut and he swallowed. He looked Enoea in the eyes and continued, "You're doin' real good, kid, but we've got quite a fight up ahead of us. If fhey could do that to Juma, we'll need to be careful."

The younger mook nodded his head, looking down at the tips of his tentacles. "I-I know, Tari. And…and, um, I know I don't know as much about fighting as you and Net, but, I…I'm going to try my best to…to…" his entire body shuddered and he shut his mouth.

Tari's eyes pricked and he set a tentacle on the rookie's head. "Enoea," he said, "Once fhis whole war's over and we're back home, I can promise you fhat someone's gunna find out about fat big heart you've got an'-"

Enoea's eyes glistened. "Y-you don't need to talk about -"

"Kid, let me finish the damn compliment, all right? I need the practice. Where was I?" Tari frowned and gathered his thoughts together again. "Right. Once we get home, you'll find someone who loves you more'n anyfhing in the whole universe. So, for the sake of fhat lucky mook, you're gunna fight hard an' make it fhrough fhis."

The kid wiped his eyes dry and nodded his head. He hesitated and gave Tari a quick hug. "Thank you, Tari. Thank you so much."

They waited in a thoughtful silence for fifteen more minutes until Net slithered into view. "Well," he said, a tremor in his voice, "Let's track these monsters."

* * *

It was a quiet trip; all three of the mooks deep in thought as they slithered over the damp, swamp ground. Before the moon was at the middle of the sky, the group heard the chatter of alien voices. They were almost to the humans. Tari motioned Enoea to his side and crossed his tentacles. "Kid, before we head into fis fight, I fink I should tell you somefhin' important." Enoea nodded his head and leaned a bit closer as Tari continued. "If fhe fight gets bad, I want you to get away and tell fhe higher-ups about fhe human monsters."

"B-but, -!"

"Kid, fis is how some fights work. We don't know if we're gunna manage to kill fhe humans, and none of us want Juma to died unavenged, right?"

"W-well, no, but-"

"Listen," Tari shut his eyes and said to Enoea in as calm of a tone as possible, "Think of it fhis way; the humans left Juma to die. If me'n Net go down and you get help, there's a good chance we could pull fhrough, with fhe proper healin'." That got Enoea to shut up, to Tari's relief. Tari looked over at Net and nodded his torso in the direction of the voices.

They pressed on and, once the trio was close enough to the humans to see them, Net mumbled a quick line to his two companions. "Let's get moving, you two. We have some humans to kill."

MookA

drew near!

MookB

drew near!

MookC

drew near!

Net glanced over at Enoea, speaking with telepathy as he prepared for the first attack of the humans.

'Kid, try hanging back a bit. This is going to be a tricky battle. I don't want them to have the satisfaction of killing you, too.'

Ninten's attack!

MookA dodged

swiftly!

'Net, you're good at dodging. And, there's no way I'm hanging back too much. They… they killed your mate! I-I can't just hang back. S-she would find a way to come back and tease me for being a wimp when her honor was at stake…'

MookA is

guarding.

MookC tried

Brainshock!

'If you two would focus for a minute, this battle would be much easier. Oh, by the stars…'

There was no

effect on Ana.

Ana tried

PSI Freeze Beta!

MookB suffered

21 damage.

MookB is

guarding.

'Hey, kid, you all right?' Tari glanced at Enoea. The kid was even paler than before and trembled from the cold. Intricate patterns of frost decorated his tentacles and torso. It was a good hit, he'd admit, but nothing the kid couldn't handle.

Loid's attack!

MookB suffered

23 damage.

Well, that significantly changed the situation. Tari grit his teeth together and thought about what to do. The situation was already off to a terrible start. He'd hoped the humans would focus on him and Net if the kid hung back a bit. Those filthy humans must have tagged the rookie as the weak link. Tari and Net had to keep him safe. They had to. The way the kid looked now, Tari decided, he could take one more hit and remain conscious. If Tari hoped to keep him upright, he'd need to focus his powers on restoring the rookie. He prepared a PSI life-up. Hopefully, he thought, Net would keep the humans distracted with an attack. The striped human shifted his weight and ran forward just before any of the mook trio could move.

Ninten's attack!

Smaaaash!

MookB suffered

106 damage.

MookB was

beaten!

MookA tried

PSI Life-Up Beta.

MookB

was already gone.

MookC tried

PSI Life-Up Beta.

MookB

was already gone.

Net turned away from the humans and reached a tentacle out to Enoea. 'Get up, kid. Come on, Enoea, get up! This wasn't supposed to happen! Juma….Ju, why…?"

Ana tried

PSI Freeze Beta.

MookA suffered

49 damage.

They had to get away from the humans. They'd badly miscalculated the fight. Tari's heart pounded as he saw the smallest of the humans reach for his weapon again. 'Net! Net, focus, fhe smaller human-'

Loid's attack!

MookA suffered

39 damage.

MookA was

beaten!

Tari stared at the humans, his eyes wide. Maybe, just maybe, there was a chance he could make things right if he followed through with the last-resort plan he'd given Enoea only minutes earlier.

Ninten's attack!

MookC suffered

69 damage.

There was no going back. This had to work; he had to help the gullible, but good-hearted Enoea and his long-time friend Net. He looked at the human monsters and narrowed his eyes. The striped boy needed a moment to recover after his swing and the girl had spent too many psychic points on her ice attacks. From the looks of it, she didn't have much psychic strength left in her right now. Good, he thought, my plan's got a chance of working. The only human who posed a threat right now was the little boy. He focused his mental strength on one final attack.

MookC tried

darkness!

Loid was

blinded.

They were safe. Tari ignored the pain in his body and bent down. He grabbed his friends and fled. The humans had won this fight; there was no denying that. However, he had managed to save two of his group, two the mooks he'd grown to understand better than anyone before, from death. His entire body shook and pain gnawed at his strength, but he had no intention of slowing down. Maybe he'd never fully recover from those hits. He didn't care. He'd save his friends and that was really all that mattered.

'Net…Enoea…just hang in fhere a little bit longer. I'll find a higher-up and get you bofh healed up in no time and, when we get back home, we'll have a proper memorial for Juma and get some time off so you can talk to whoever you want, kid.'

Ana's attack!

MookC suffered

1 damage.

MookC was

beaten!

The clang of the frying pan echoed through his head and darkness filled his eyes. The mook had the vague sensation of the soft, swamp mud hitting his face when his body crumpled. He exhaled into the warm ground and his grip on his companions' tentacles loosened for the last time.

YOU WIN!


End file.
